Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-07-07
GRAFTON Of HON. N. BUCK.

! Ever since the earth has been the
home Of men it has been The custom OF
men to designate and observe certain
days for graduation and congratulation
for the mercies and blessings Of life.
Rest and relaxation from lite's eteruer
duties in which brain and muscle and
tired nature may regain lost power seems
to be law of mind aud matter. 1t il
| written, that, having completed the for
nation OF the earth, the creator himself
having surveyed bis work pronounced it
go,d aud rested on the seventh day.
Among the first commands of the
great Jewish law maker and stateman to
the chosen people was that, 'Six days
shalt thou labor and do all thy work but
the seventh shall be devoted TO rest and
worship" Looking abroad upon the
flowing rivers, upon the green hills, upon
the mountain ranges and the mighty
forests; looking outward from ourselves
upon the physical world about us, OBJ.
serving the methods by which nature
works, we see the green leaf become scar
and yellow as the years growth is made.
We see the tiny flower when the days
development is over fold its leaves in rest
and await the dawuing Of another day,
and when summer is past and TALL heralds
the end Of the years work we see nature
wrapping herself 10 her mantle of ir,s'
and ice aud snow devote the winter
season to rest and recuperAtion, and
when spring time comes with renovated
powers the clothes herself in beauty again
with grass and grain and fruit and
flowers. So history anI nature teach
that the hours Of rest aud recreation are
as needful to the best Development Of
man as are the hours of labor and so
turned aside from the farm and the shop
from the anvil and the pillow leaving the
place of traffic and speculation, cutting
loose as best we can from the cares and
anxicties of life and striving to forget
them all, we assemble here to celebrate
the natal day Of the republic with songs
and music and sports and games, in 10y
and cladness.
The Declaration of Independence con-
stitutcs an epoch in the worlds history.
1t came to man after centuries Of trial
aud struggle o: supporting aud dcvelope.
ment. 1t seems to be a principle 10
mind and matter that nothing can stand
still. We must either improve or retro
grade. Looking forth upon the field of
grain we see the blade pushing itself
outward FROM tho earth, gathering new
material every moment from soil, air.
dew and sunshine. Developing new
fiber with each succeeding day, now the
broad leaf and the tasselled car always
upward until the ripeued. grain is ready
for harvest. The object Of its existauce
is accomplished. Observing still farther
we see that when the grain ceases to
mature the stalk commences to decay.
When the corn is ripe the Leaf begins to
wither, and with each succeeding hour its
strength fails. So We see the child ever
restless, ever in motion, ever reaching
for that which is beyond, developing
muscle and brain aud nerve until the
child becomes the youth, the youth the
man and the man child again. As in
matter 80 in mind. The intellect is ever
experimenting, always arguing, reasoning
seeking from what it knows to learn the
things it does not know; when it ceases
to experiment, to speculate, to strive after
better condition. When man is salts
fed with what he is and what he has the
period OF his strength has come, when
the mind ceases to gather new kuowl-
edge and to develop new strength the
body begins to decay the object Of its
existauce is accomplished; it is on the
decline. So the history Of the world
teaches that the human race is never
satisfied. From the days of ths
Patriarchs until nov -pssaaer TINS impulse
OF srfSSc a,atlon and unrest the condition
Of the race has been improving. 10
primitive days the father governed his
descendants upon the principle Of love-,
veneration and fear. As families ex.
banded into tribes and tribes increased to
nations, as the ruler became renowned by
the ties Of nature and the multitude of
his subject from those whom he govern
ed the element Of love- and venera,ion
mere absorbed by the one motive fear.
He who had the most power to iuaict
suffering upon his neighbor was obeyed
as ruler that the punishment might be |
avoided and the patriach became leader,
ruler, king and despot with absolute
power over the lives and fortunes of his